Companion
by Rivulet027
Summary: His second year at Hogworts Snape makes a friend...two if you count her teddy bear.


Disclaimer: I own nothing to do with Harry Potter, its J. K. Rowling's toybox and I am so merely playing in it. Neither do I own anything to do with C. S. Lewis' The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe which I borrowed a name from.

A Note: That said this piece was written because I originally was going to write a different Snape centered piece and created two OC's to go with it. However the plot for that piece just was not strong enough and while I could have a strong beginning and a strong ending the getting from the beginning to the end just was not going to happen and since I'd rather not start a piece I can't finish I scraped it and was left with the two OC's: Carissa Constance and Serina Snape. I borrowed them for Healing, the Snape in here in some ways very obviously different then the Snape in that piece. Serina is, well actually she's someone Carissa and Snape (Severus) introduced me too. She named Serina for two basic reasons: One it starts with an S, and two its meaning as her presence is a calming force for Severus. Carissa is basically four parts Jubliee from X-men, 2 part Colin Creevey (from the second book), 2 parts Roberta from the movie Now and Then, 11/2 parts my Grandma and ½ part Drusilla from BTVS, but that could just be because they're both seers, among other things. That being said since I threw a little of my Grandma in here I also threw in some of my Grandpa, in the way I'm going to write Frank Longbottom.

A Further Note: Spoilers are now to Ootp, which means I've changed one of Carissa's lines to Sirius, but that's all. I kept the L/J interaction the way it is. Have no fear though, it will become what is cannon. Anyway enough with the notes, onto the fic.

"...the companions of our childhood always  
processes a certain power over our minds  
which hardly any later friend can obtain  
which, however they afterward modified  
are never eradicated; and they can judge our actions  
with more certain conclusions as to our motives."  
-Victor Frankenstien- Frankenstien -Mary Shelley

Severus Snape felt an odd sense of foreboding as he pushed his hair out of his face and looked up from the potions book he'd been reading. He was on the Hogworts Express, about to start his second year at school, and he was in a compartment alone. This is what caused the foreboding feeling, the emptiness of the compartment.

When he'd first got on the train he'd found a seat and started on his new potions book sure that Blaise Zabini, a fellow Slytherin and a second year same as him, would find him and want to compare notes on their holiday work. Severus though good in Potions had trouble in History of Magic, Blaise was the opposite and in the pervious year they had often helped each other with their work in order to keep their grades up. Time had past though and Blaise had not shown up and now he was alone in a small space which when he considered it made him an easier target.

A target because in the previous year Severus had made a nemesis, James Potter, a Gryffindor in the same year as him. The problem with Potter was he came complete with a best friend, Sirius Black, another Gryffindor also in the same year. The two ring-lead a small group of Gryffindor's in their year which much to Severus' dismay included his twin sister Serina. How Serina had been sorted into Gryffindor was beyond Severus, and his parents comprehension, bu t Severus had certainly been punished for it. Serina was the exact opposite of everything Severus was, and their parents never physically punished her. Instead they punished Severus, and harshly. His sister tried to stay out of trouble for his sake, but as she put it how could she change where the sorting hat would put her? They'd both been raised to be proper Slytherins and he grimaced in remembrance of the beating he had received for her being sorted into Gryffindor.

It was at that moment that the door began to open, fear clutched him. He was alone, vulnerable and he didn't know where he had placed his wand. He was only a second year, was he suppose to remember all these things? He was not about to let Potter or Black get the best of him though. Determined he put on his fiercest scowl and glared at the door.

The door finished opening and he found himself staring at a girl, or was it a boy? He couldn't tell. What he could tell was that judging by the standard Hogworts tie, instead of a House tie, they were wearing with their robes and their short stature the person was a first year. A first year with short-cut, which was why he was thinking boy, honey-brown hair and pale gray eyes. The reason he was thinking girl was there was something softly feminine about the child who blink at him a moment and clutched their satchel closer to themselves as they took in his scowl.

He relaxed when he realized it wasn't Potter or Black, and took the time to wonder why a first year was coming into his compartment in the first place, they had their own place on the train. Before he could demand what this person thought they were doing they spoke, "Well, you're not exactly what I was expecting, but you'll do."

This statement thoroughly confused him and he found himself asking, "I'm sorry, what?"

The person shrugged, "I prayed for a friend, because while Tumnus is good he just isn't everything. I knew I'd find my friend here, in this compartment on the first day to school. I didn't quite expect someone who looked so sour, but you'll do."

This conversation was quickly turning into the weirdest one Severus had ever taken the time to have. Therefore he asked the only question he could think to ask, "I don't understand. Who are you and who is Tumnus?"

The person giggled slightly, confirming for him that this was indeed a girl, before informing him, "Tumnus is my teddy."

To prove her point she reached into her satchel and pulled a worn teddy-bear out to show him. She looked at the bear seriously and then to him, "Tumnus says hello. He thinks I shouldn't have my doubts and that you'll make a fine friend."

That said she shoved the bear back into her satchel before she skipped over and took a seat beside him. Holding out her hand she smiled, "I'm Carissa Constance. You're a Snape aren't you?"

His gaze flickered from her outstretched hand to her face as he demanded, "How did you know that?"

She tilted her head and smirked, "You have the nose, and the hair coloring. My Mummy says no one has quite the same shade of black hair as Snapes."

He didn't know how to respond to that and she took his silence as an opportunity to continue, "My Mummy raised me to be a proper Slytherin."

Off the look that graced his face as she said that she giggled again and tried to reassure him, "Oh! Don't worry, I'm not going to be a Slytherin. I'm only saying my Mother raised me to be one, complete with having to memorize all the pureblood families so I could know who to properly make friends with. Though I'm not quite sure how she'll feel about my being friends with you, but we'll be friends all the same."

"I beg your pardon?" was all Severus managed.

Carissa let out another giggle before grabbing his hand and shaking it. Severus wasn't use to anyone but his sister touching him in a friendly way and this felt like an invasion. He let out a growl and yanked his hand away.

"We most certainly will not be friends! I don't need friends!" he declared as he backed away from her. The girl merely tilted her head and blinked a few times before flouncing to her feet and bouncing a bit.

"But we will, be friends," she declared, "I've already seen it. You'll even stay my friend when I leave school. I'm only going to be here till fifth."

Severus was confused. He knew the Constance's were a pureblood wizarding family who had all been sorted into Slytherin. He also knew that as families went the Constance's were considered to be somewhere between Longbottom's and Snape's, just a bit below Malfoy's. So surely if the Constance's had a daughter that was mad they wouldn't let anyone know about it, and they certainly wouldn't send her to school. This conversation was confusing and he was quickly getting annoyed. He was a Snape after all and they were known for their rather short tempers.

"What do you mean you've seen it, and what do you mean by saying you'll leave in fifth?" he asked dryly as he pushed down the urge to kick the girl out of his compartment. He was thinking if he kept her here Potter, Black and their little crew would be less likely to attack him, there being a witness and all.

She tilted her head the other way, gave him a full on grin and much to his irritation he noticed she was still bouncing on her heels. Someone had obviously given this girl too much sugar, she had way too much energy.

"I sometimes see things happen before they do," she told him in a mater of fact tone, "That's how I knew I'd find my new friend here. And don't worry about what will happen in my fifth year, I only know that I will go away and not come back for a long time. But don't worry, we'll still be friends."

The most irritating thing about her declaration was she was still bouncing up and down on her heels. Who supplied this girl with sugar? He was going to find them and hurt them, right after he got rid of her.

"I don't have friends. I'm a loner," he informed her before adding silently, at least that's what my sister says I am.

The girl let out a giggle, still bouncing and tilted her head the other way as she proclaimed, "Oh no, you've got it all wrong. We're going to be friends, even when I'm sorted into Hufflepuff!"

That was all Severus need to hear as he reached around her, grabbed her satchel, dropped said satchel in her hands and started to push her towards the door.

"I'm not pathetic enough to need a Hufflepuff," he told her as he continued to push her towards the door, "and I won't ever be."

"Hey!" she shriek, "Stop that! You'll stop that or I'll break that Snape nose of yours!"

Her declaration caused him to pause and blink at her. This flouncy little thing was going to break his nose? He couldn't stop that laughter that bubbled up inside him. He ended up on the floor still laughing with her peering down anxiously at him.

At which point Black and Potter decided to show up with Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew and Lily Evans in tow.

"What's all this?" Potter asked as he peered around Black who was standing in the doorway.

"It's nothing," Carissa explained, "I only made him laugh. Friends do such things for one another."

It was Black who now laughed, "Friends? Friends? You're going to make friends with that?"

Severus let out a growl as he got to his feet and scowled at Sirius.

Carissa for her part looked between the two boys before setting her sights on Black and informing him, "Well that was rude. You're Black aren't you? My Mother told me to stay away from you. She says that your a meddling Gryffindor."

The taller boy smirked, "You're right about the Black part, but not the meddling."

"Snape does all the meddling," his shorter counterpart informed her. At his finishing Sirius' comment Carissa's gaze went from Black to him.

"Well if it isn't a Potter," the girl stated softly, "you can quite frankly tell by the hair."

Potter's face screwed up, "What about my hair?"

"You're hairs fine James, she's probably only means it looks just lik your fathers," a wiry boy, with soft brown hair, that was standing behind him said.

This caused Carissa to peer around both Black and Potter, to take in the other three standing in the hallway. She address the short pudgy boy first, "A Pettigrew."

Her eyes fell on Remus, who'd just spoken, next and she gave him a c oncerned look for a moment before saying, "And your a Lupin."

"Which would make you," she started as she turned to Lily before her voice trailed off.

By now all five boys were silent. Four of them because this girl had just come up with their family names without any introduction whatsoever and it was bewildering to say the least. Snape was silent because he was holding his breath, he knew Lily was muggleborn and therefore Carissa wouldn't know her surname, he was just waiting for her to make her first mistake. He was guessing that she would judge by Lily's red hair and proclaim her a Weasley, or maybe a Bones, or perhaps a...

Carissa face held a sense of wonder as she took in Lily Evans. Softly in an amazed tone she whispered, "Why your a mugblood."

The reaction to her words were immediate. Lily looked horrified, after all that word was the same one Avery, Crabbe and Goyle, all Slytherins, had used to constantly insult her in the previous year. Severus was silent. He actually liked Lily, despite her being a Gryffindor, she was sweet and nice and had never made fun of him. She'd even stuck up for him a few times when Black and Potter's teasing had gone too far. He didn't want her to be insulted. As for Potter and Black, well their first reaction was to defend their friend.

"That was uncalled for!" Black bellowed at her as Potter moved to comfort Lily.

Lily excepted Potter's embrace as he put his arms around her in a comforting way before she recovered herself enough to stutter out, "I-I am not!"

"But you are. Your muggleborn aren't you?" Carissa defended softly as she tilted her head this way and that regarding Lily.

"Just because I'm muggleborn is no reason to insult me!"

The small first year blinked at her in confusion. Then her eyes widened, "I didn't mean it as an insult. I've just never seen one before. I didn't mean anything rude by it. That's just the word my Mummy uses."

"Well obviously your Mother is a bigot!" Potter told Carissa before turning to his group of friends, "Come on, we'll find another compartment."

Then he sent Carissa a scowl before leading Lily away. Pettigrew went toddling after them as Black looked down the hall to where his friends were walking and then to Snape. He addressed Severus then, "This isn't over, see you in school."

With those words he took off down the hall.

Carissa fish-mouthed as Snape scowled.

"I-I," the younger girl whimpered, "I didn't mean to insult her."

The forth boy, Lupin, gave her a sympathetic look, "Don't worry about it. James and Sirius can be a bit high-strung. Lils is understanding, give her time, she'll forgive you."

He gave her one more sympathetic look, tilted his heading in greeting to Severus and closed the door.

"I don't think that went very well," Carissa whispered still staring at the closed door while Snape could only think, well at least their gone and they probably won't be back.

"No, that didn't go very well at all," the small girl confirmed softly to herself before she sighed and sat down again.

"It's just Potter and Black, they deserve to be insulted," he told her pausing to wonder why he was saying anything comforting to her and why he wasn't just kicking her out of his compartment. Well, she did effectively get rid of Potter and Black, even if she did insult Lily in the process, that had to count for something. He decided then she could sit in his compartment as long as she didn't make a nuisance of herself.

With this decision he found his seat again, lifted his potions book and set about ignoring her. Carissa for her part pulled out Tumnus, hugged him to herself and looked deep in thought.

After a moment she started swinging her legs careful not to hit the back of the seat she was on. Severus looked up from his book to give her an annoyed look and much to his relief she stopped. Much to his dismay though she tilted her head and asked him, "What are you doing?"

"I'm waiting for Blaise to make an appearance," he told her dryly as he tried to go back to reading his book.

"Zabini?" she asked sweetly.

He lowered his book and starred at her, "How do you know these things?"

She gave him an exasperated look as she tightened her hold on her bear, "I told you my Mummy made me memorize all the pureblood families and everyone knows that the Zabini's always name their first born Blaise. They're also pretty much the only family to use that name on account of their great great great something or other once..."

"I know the story."

"Do you now?"

"Yes."

Carissa's response was to nod before she began to swing her feet again as she looked about the compartment.

"What else did you mother tell you?"

Her eyes snapped away from the ceiling and met him in the face. She stared at him a good minute, which he found rather unnerving as her eyes held this wild mischievous look to them. She gave him a frown for a moment before she drew herself up in an obvious imitation of her mother, "Never ever ever consort with a Weasley. They have Gryffindor heritage, are poor and tend to multiply."

She frowned then wrinkling her nose in confusion, "I'm not sure what my mother meant by the multiply part."

Before he could say anything she had bounced to her feet and flounced over to him. With a wide eyed hopeful look she asked him, "Tell me, are there any Weasley's at school?"

"There are."

She gave him a large toothy grin as she hugged her bear to her in excitement, "Good. I have every intention to make friends with one."

"If your to stay away from them why would you do a thing like that?"

"Why not? Why is a Weasley so bad? I wanna know. I wanna find out. I'm rather curious."

He regarded her over his book in an annoyed fashion before he told her dryly, "Curiosity killed the cat."

"Well I'm not a cat," she shot back before she paused and as an after note added, "yet."

"Yet?" he questioned. 

Before he could get his answer his sister flew in with her black hair flying and her blue eyes looking concerned as she demanded, "What in Merlin's name did you say to Lils to get her so upset?"

"I didn't say a thing," he informed her before he pointed to Carissa, "it was all her."

Serina paused then to take in the younger child before her.

"Her?" she questioned.

"Carissa Constance meet Serina Snape, my twin sister and all around everything I am not."

"Severus!" his sister scolded.

Carissa looked from Severus to Serina before she shyly said, "Hello."

His sister gave Carissa a brief 'hi' before turning her attention back to him, "Now what did you say to Lils. She's all upset and Sirius only mentioned you."

"He would only mention me, the great prat. You should stay away from him."

"Sirius?" Carissa questioned.

"Black." Severus informed her.

"Oh, the tall one that was annoying?" Carissa attempted to confirm.

"Sirius is not annoying." Serina told her in a haughty tone.

"Well he was," Carissa pouted as she sat down next to Severus. Severus eyed her suspiciously a moment before returning to his book.

"Are you going to tell me what happened?" his sister asked in impatience.

"Carissa called her a mugblood and she got offended, I didn't do a thing. You know I don't have a problem with Lily. Can I go back to my book now?"

His sister gave him a scowl that could match his own, "Severus don't you dare..."

"I didn't mean to insult her." Carissa whimpered into her bear, "I didn't realize it would upset her."

His sister deflated some and turned her attention from him to the girl sitting beside him. Severus sighed in a frustrated way as he turned to her, "Are you going to cry?"

"Maybe," the girl whimpered and off both their looks she informed them, "I am only eleven."

The tears in her eyes deflated his sister's temper further and she sat down across from them and attempted to change the subject, "Why are you in here?"

"You're brother is my new best friend."

Her answer caused her sister to look at her in a dumbfounded way. After a moment Serina said softly, "My brother's not very social. You'd do well not to..."

"Oh, we're going to be best friends. I've already seen it."

"Seen it? You see things?"

"Most all the time, sometimes I hear things too. It's all rather confusing."

At Carissa's answer Serina wrinkled her noise, "Well Severus you have interesting tastes in people."

"It's not my choice," he told her grimly as he tried to get back into his book and ignore them.

They grew silent as they both regarded him. After a moment Carissa turned her attention back to Serina and asked, "You're friends Black and Potter?"

Serina shook her head, "I'm occasionally friends with Lils, but she and James get on rather well so the rest are just sort of there."

Carissa nodded. Then she asked softly, "What's wrong with the Lupin boy?"

"Wrong?" the raven-haired girl asked as she looked at the younger girl in confusion.

"Something's off," Carissa continued softly, "I can't make it out though. An oddness though, and a knowing that he's not always at school."

"Oh," Severus' sister laughed in understanding, "Remus has to go home a lot for various reasons. His family seems rather needy of him. It's nothing to worry about though, he always comes back after a few days and catches up on his work."

"Remus," Carissa said softly, "That's an old name."

At that point in the conversation Severus tuned out as he went back into his book. If his sister would keep her occupied, all the better for him. He only came out of the book again to accept his sister's hug goodbye. As he started to go back to his book he caught Carissa out of the corner of his eyes.

"I'm reading, be quiet or get out,." he instructed.

She gave him a glare and a pout before pulling a book out of her satchel and ignoring him for the rest of the ride.

When they reached the school he was more then happy to get rid of her. The way in which he got rid of her did nothing to please him. She stood very close to him as they got off the train. As he started to walk away she grabbed his hand. He tugged and she didn't let go. Worst yet she seemed rooted to the spot where she stood. Exasperated he turned to take her in. She was staring past him wide eyed still clutching her stupid bear. He'd told her to get rid of it or at least leave it on the train. He'd tried warning her she'd be teased and if for some odd reason he was associated with her he'd be teased in turn. It did not good, she insisted on keeping the ratty old thing with her. Scowling he followed her gaze to Hagrid, who was doing his call for first years.

"He's huge," she whispered before that idiot grin of hers covered her face again, "I like him already."

"Good, why don't you make friends with him instead of me?"

She gave him a frown before she told him, "Can't."

"What do you mean you...just go already."

She looked at him a moment with, well he wasn't sure what only that it made him feel uneasy, before she gave him a slight grin and joined her year.

By the time the sorting had started he'd put her out of his mind. In fact he was all set to ignore the sorting all together. After all he'd found Blaise and they were currently arranging to go over their work and discussing the summer to each other.

The only thing that brought her crashing back into his thoughts was when Blaise got quiet to watch her get sorted. Blaise had this stupid half-smile on his face as she stumbled out of the line of her peers and clutching Tumnus to her stopped in front of Professor Figg, who was conducting the sorting. She looked at the professor a moment before asking, "Is this absolutely necessary?"

After being told it was she gave a slight shake of her head and went to the stool. Then she took the hat and placed it very softly on her head. Then she asked the hat in a very mater of fact tone to please sort Tumnus into the same house as her, which then included her explanation of just who Tumnus was. If that wasn't bad enough she decided to ask the hat if it was very boring to live ones life as a hat. In fact she asked several childish questions as the hat was making it's choice. The entire time Severus felt uneasy. The uneasiness got worse when the hat declared her a "Hufflepuff."

She'd said they'd be friends. She'd also said she'd be a Hufflepuff and now she was. Could she be right about the friend thing then? No, Severus decided, he didn't need a friend like her. They would never be friends. 


End file.
